Anadarko Stakes Horizontal Frontier Wildcat on Moxa Arch

Lincoln County, Wyoming

Anadarko E&P (Anadarko) has received permission from the state of Wyoming to drill their third horizontal Upper Cretaceous test on the Moxa Arch, roughly 13 miles southeast of the city of Kemmerer, in Lincoln County, Wyoming. A fourth lateral test planned by the operator for this area is still awaiting approval from the state.

The latest horizontal prospect to be approved is the Muddy Flats #20-114-33-34F-H, ne-ne 33-20n-114w, a projected 16,478’ (TMD) Frontier test that is expected to have true vertical depth of 12,306’. The bottom hole for the wildcat is expected to land in the sw-se 33-20n-114w.

Anadarko’s latest horizontal venture is located less than a mile north of a failure drilled by Amoco 33 years ago. The Champlin #262 Amoco B 1, sw-se 33-20n-114w, evaluated the Dakota at a depth of 13,760’. Even though no drillstem tests were performed, Amoco ran long string and perforated the Dakota from 13,100’ to 13,386’; no significant recoveries were encountered. The operator then set a bridge plug at 12,922’ and opened up the Frontier interval at 12,242’–12,334’. Again, no important signs of hydrocarbons were seen, and the attempt was abandoned in 1981. The Champlin #262 Amoco B 1 is one of several vertical Jurassic tests that Amoco drilled in this area during the late 1970s and early 1980s.

Roughly 1.5 miles northeast of the Muddy Flats #20-114-33-34F-H, Amoco drilled the Champlin #262 Amoco C 1, sw-se 23-20n-114w. Both the Dakota and Mowry in this venture were perforated in the overall interval at 12,020’–13,148’. With no noteworthy shows, Amoco put cement to the prospect in 1981. The Frontier log top in this dry hole was picked at 11,756’ beneath a ground elevation of 6,666’.

Of the stakings in Anadarko’s drilling program that have been approved by the state, the northernmost is the Muddy Trails #20-114-9-14F-H, ne-nw 9-20n-114w, a proposed 16,368’ true measured depth (12,281’ true vertical depth) lateral Frontier venture. Spotting 4 miles north of the recently permitted Muddy Flats #20-114-33-34F-H, this wildcat sits a mile north of an Amoco dry hole drilled 38 years ago. The Dry Muddy Creek Unit #1, nw-ne 16-20n-114w, bottomed in the Morrison at a depth of 13,713’. Based on shows, Amoco ran production casing to a depth of 13,702’ and perforated and acidized the Dakota across the interval at 12,334’–12,428’. Results were negligible, and this test was abandoned in 1976. Log tops picked in the Dry Muddy Creek Unit #1 are the Second Frontier at 12,144’ and the Dakota at 13,290’ beneath a KB elevation of 6,794’.

Jumping one township to the south, Wyoming has given Anadarko the green light to drill the Muddy Mesa #19-114-1-21F-H, sw-sw 1-19n-114w, a horizontal Frontier test that will have a lateral leg terminating in the ne-nw 1-19n-114w. This effort is intended to have a true vertical depth of 11,850’ with a true measured depth of 16,109’.

The Muddy Mesa #19-114-1-21F-H is located almost a mile to the southwest of an Amoco failure at the Champlin #361 Amoco A 1, nw-sw 31-20n-113w. Entering the Upper Cretaceous at a depth of 12,250’, the company conducted two DSTs, both in the Frontier. Each of these formation tests were considered mis-runs, however, and a decision was made to production-test the Frontier from 11,971’ to 12,036’. The most this zone would yield was 10 mcfgpd. Deemed noncommercial, the Champlin #361 Amoco A 1 was plugged in 1979.

Some 2 miles south of Anadarko’s Muddy Mesa #19-114-1-21F-H, Union Pacific Resources drilled a vertical Morrison test at the Ulysses #4-13 1, c-sw 13-19n-114w. This 12,974’ attempt was plugged in 1991 with no cores cut or tests conducted.

One other prospect planned by Anadarko in this vicinity is still awaiting approval from the state. The Muddy Gras Federal #20-114-22-23F-H, sw-nw 27-30n-114w, is proposed as a lateral Frontier test with a bottom hole aiming for the ne-sw 22-20n-114w. Estimated vertical depth for the venture will be 12,162’. This staking is located midway between the previously mentioned Muddy Flats #20-114-33-34F-H and Amoco’s dry hole at the Champlin #262 Amoco C 1.

The nearest significant production to Anadarko’s proposed drilling program is roughly 6 miles to the east/southeast at Wilson Ranch Field, a stratigraphic trap that has produced more than 1.8 mmbo and 204 bcfg. Discovered in 1973, this gas reservoir currently produces from the Baxter, Dakota, Frontier, and Morgan.